I'm in heaven! Gardening nirvana. I have a cold frame! And, pretty soon, I'll have another. All for the cost of zero dollars. That's right, we spent nothing on this project. Here's how we did it.

1. 2 storm doors scavenged from landfill.2. Lumber reclaimed from barn demolition.3. Paint from old fence project.4. Misc. hardware found laying around in the garage.5. Dogs also found laying around in the garage.6. Free labor. Ours.

In about an hour, start to finish, this project was complete. First, we gathered the material.

We knew what the finished size needed to be by measuring the doors. So we cut the boards and assembled the box.

The inspector came through to check our work.

Side angles cut and attached.

Back and supports installed.

Paint.

Installed hinges (4) to support the door.

Find a spot in the garden with southern exposure.

Insert cold frame. Done!

Time to get those seeds started! Do you have a garden project you are working on? Stop by our FB home and share! You can find us at fb.com/thepocketfarmer and we are also on Twitter @thepocketfarmer. Hope to see you there! :)

Ever since the Groundhog predicted Winter's last gasp and more recently, the calendar heralded the first day of Spring, we have been battling some of the harshest conditions we've seen in a year. Freezing temps, Bitter cold winds, Dark clouds, Ice and Snow. Really, the Who's Who of Winter has been amongst us, making themselves right at home. As we look for the pattern to break, we scan the forecasts, hoping and waiting for our turn in the sun. Another weekend, more snow expected...blah, blah, blah. But wait. What's that? Sunshine? Blue skies?? We blink and wander out in a daze. Could it be? The girls head out to look for clues.

Daisy does her research from ground zero, sampling a single ray of light.

Pete and Bella also apply the Keep Calm and Let Spring Happen methodology by checking the ground temps. If Spring is coming, they'll be well rested.

Yes, it's true! In a miraculous turn of events, we have confirmed an unexpected but welcome break in the weather! To celebrate, we do a little yard clean up, discuss the projects slated for this season and watch the animals bask in the long awaited glorious light. Mama pigeon takes a peek at the world from the roof of her condo, leaving dad to the task of watching the new baby.

As she is at risk of predation by air, I scan the area looking for threats and my heart sinks when I happen to spot this hawk perched nearby.

Within minutes the hawk makes his move, flushing her off the roof and attempting to snatch her up mid-air.

He got within 20' of her before she cuts back and evades capture. Break time is over and she heads back home. Safe and sound, but that was a very close call.

Overall, a very pleasant day outside for us all. And even as we look out the window this morning to a very different landscape, we are content knowing that Spring is at hand.

Ya just gotta believe.

Be sure to check out our daily posts over at fb.com/thepocketfarmer or find us on Twitter @thepocketfarmer. Hope you can join us! :)

St. Patrick's Day marks our two year chicken anniversary. So, it's especially appropriate that I bombard the blog with pics of the newest members to our chicken family! The good news is that we have 15, day-old baby fuzz butts chirping away in our utility room, including two from a breeder's line that will help move our flock forward genetically. But, since we bred this year's hens with breeder stock we hatched out last year, we are already headed in the right direction. So it's a double cause for celebration here and without further ado, here are the chick pics! :)

Last time I checked, Chicago was still a major metropolitan area. And while it isn't exactly a hub for earth friendly practices, it can't help but be caught in the crossfire of ideology when it comes to Greenies vs Meanies. So, having attended the Chicago Flower & Garden show for the past several years, Farmer Tom and I look forward to finding the trends being reported elsewhere, displayed right here in our own backyard for us to examine and evaluate. For example, two years ago, the chicken displays were very popular.

Last year we saw grass roofs,

vertical gardens,

and one token coop.

This year? Well, I can tell you there were no chickens or coops. The theme was "The Art of Gardening" and, as such, the focus was on presentation, not function.

And while I enjoyed this wall of windows,

there was precious little sustainability focus and we were hard pressed to find anything new. In fact, the icy gloomy Lake Michigan was far more intriguing to me than the half hearted gutter garden display or the plastic hanging planters that seemed ubiquitous this season.

Coming off the news that the New York Times has shut down its Green blog, I'm wondering if the whole "green" movement is in the death throes of popularity. Not in necessity, because we need action and change now, more than ever, but is the effort waning due to lack of interest? Have we, as a society, grown tired of the earnest pleading and dire warnings that have been our daily fodder for the last decade? If so, shame on us. Our work is not done. In fact, we've barely made a dent. As Spring is creeping into our conscious minds, so to must we renew our efforts to get things righted in our environment and our world. Not just for our grandchildren, as we used to think, but for OURSELVES. Because the permanent and irreversible environmental damage everyone used to talk about, is happening now. In our lifetime. On our watch. If that isn't front page news anymore, and doesn't merit a mention in a major metropolitan gardening trade show, it should still be in the forefront of our minds and actions. Every day. It's up to us to salvage our environmental legacy and rewrite the pages that right now will read: "Society grows tired of Sustainability and dooms the world with their apathy". It is no longer a choice ie: paper or plastic, but rather a sprint to cut doom off at the pass. (In fact, it never should have been paper vs plastic, as both choices are flawed). Here is what needs to happen:1. Educate yourself on the issues. Make the effort. 2. Find a way to change and make a difference. 3. Teach what you have learned.4. Tell everyone you know.5. Don't tolerate apathy.6. Don't tolerate apathy.7. Don't tolerate apathy. Sorry to be the downer here, but not having a planet to live on sucks big time and not enough people realize how close we are to that reality. So, fashionable or not, we must press on, until there is nothing left to talk about. Only then can we rest.Feel free to share your sustainability tips and ideas here or at fb.com/thepocketfarmer. We are also on twitter @thepocketfarmer. Stay Green! :)

Every year, about this time, winter fatigue sets in. Even though we've had a fairly mild winter, and the snow hasn't been a burden (unlike some areas) there is a point where the endless days of dark and overcast skies just suck the energy out of your spirit. I look at the garden and it's hard to believe that in a few short months, this place will be hopping again.

Pole beans.

Strawberries.

Two months until we can plant. One month before we can start seeds. Which means that even though the ground looks frozen, final plans for the coming growing season should be happening now. Such as, where are these apple trees going to be transplanted? They were temporarily placed here a couple years ago when they were tiny bare root sprouts, but now they need more room to manuever, and soon!

But the pace is slowed by the fact that we have to wait. The garden is still sleeping. The snow needs to melt and bring much needed moisture to the soil. The ground must warm up and the sun must shine.

So, for now, the garden is still closed. No frantic bees or quacking ducks rummaging through the foliage for their bug treats. No early morning exploration to discover what new bloom or harvest has presented itself with the dawn. And no fretting about rain or heat that threatens to undue all of my best laid plans. That is still the future.

And yet, just when it seems there is no inspiration at hand, I have only to reach into my pocket to find the still warm fresh laid egg found tucked into the nest box, left by a most thoughtful hen.

Hi, I'm Sue Pranskus, and this is my sometime blog. It's mostly about my attempts to "green-up" my life. On our little farm we experiment with livestock, gardening, building, repurposing and anything else that we find interesting. Born and bred on the West Coast, I am living in the Midwest by choice, not circumstance. I have built a life based largely on core values and loosely on whimsy. It's that whimsy, though, that gets me in trouble every time!